


and we keep loving anyway

by CyrusBreeze



Series: The Other 51 [2]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Aaron Burr Being an Asshole, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Human Disaster Alexander Hamilton, Light Angst, Other, Polyamory, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-16
Updated: 2018-02-16
Packaged: 2019-03-19 09:40:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13701864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CyrusBreeze/pseuds/CyrusBreeze
Summary: Love doesn't discriminate between the sinners and the saints. It takes and it takes and it takes. And we keep loving anyway.-Wait for It, Hamilton Sountrack-Theo Burr didn’t plan on getting knocked up by the son of her father’s worst enemy, but life’s funny that way.





	and we keep loving anyway

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be lighthearted, fun, and around 5k. That didn’t happen. It’s not horrifically dark or anything, but not as fluffy as I planned. 
> 
> This also isn’t beta’d, so please don’t judge me too harshly. I’m well aware of the fact that it’s a trash fire. 
> 
> Now for the triggers: discussion of abortion, unplanned pregnancy, etc There is also implied mentions of adultery, and one scene where suicide is explicitly referenced (in the context of Romeo and Juliet). If this needs anything else, let me know. 
> 
> Otherwise, enjoy!

In all actuality, the entire situation could be blamed on Natalie de Lage de Voulde, Theo’s childhood best friend who was practically her sister. They had grown up together after all, after Natalie’s parents had passed away and Theo’s dad had obtained custody of her. In any case, Natalie was a International Studies major on the pre law track at Harvard, a stark contrast to Theo’s Mechanical Engineering major at MIT.

And since Natalie was well liked at Harvard, she had an invitation to Boston’s biggest Halloween bash, which was comprised of the best and brightest of MIT, Harvard, Berklee, and Boston College. It was huge, and Natalie begged Theo to go with her. Theo relented, pulling away from her study of physics for just one evening. 

And that was her first mistake. 

Her second mistake was refusing to dance with Natalie. Instead, she sat on the couch, hands firmly clasping the Fanta she was sipping. It was, nice. Even in the mix of screaming young adults and blaring music, she could at least be alone. Alone that is, until a heavy weight plopped next to her on the love seat. Theo turned to face the person.

“I’m Philip,” he said, sticking his hand out. “And I very much regret agreeing to attend this party.” 

Theo had to smile at him. He was cute, curly dark hair, stunning hazel eyes, freckles, and an endearing smile. 

She shook his hand. And that was her third mistake. “I’m Theo,” she said softly. 

He grinned even wider if that was possible. He looked familiar, Theo decided, but she couldn’t place it. 

“Where do you go?” He asked. 

“MIT,” Theo had to shout above the noise. “I study mechanical engineering.”

“Nice,” said Philip. “I’m at Harvard, and I study Government.” 

“Let me guess,” said Theo. “Pre-law?” 

Philip held up his hands in mock surrender. “Guilty,” he said with a laugh. “My dad did it, but I honestly have never wanted to do anything else.” 

“My dad encouraged me to do whatever I pleased,” said Theo. “But I broke his heart when I chose MIT over Columbia. He’s an alum there.” 

“I’m sure MIT is lucky to have you,” said Philip. “I applied, but my SAT score in math was a bit too low.” 

Theo smiled. “It’s not for everyone,” she said. “But I love the challenge.” 

“So,” Philip plopped closer to her on the couch. “How’d you wind up stuck here?” 

She stared at him for a moment, trying to place who he looked like. He was gorgeous, even in the dim light of the party. 

Theo laughed. “My sister dragged me along,” she said. “She thinks I study too much.” 

“And do you?” Asked Philip. 

“There’s no such thing,” Theo replied. “Not if I want to keep my 4.0.”

“I have to agree. Honestly, I probably spend about 50% of my day in class or the library, no lie. But I do like to relax. My older sister said this party would be relaxing. This,” he gestured to the party around them. “Is not relaxing.” 

“You’re telling me,” said Theo. 

“What do you say we get out of here and actually relax?” Philip asked, raising an eyebrow. 

Theo sipped her drink thoughtfully. She wouldn’t mind sleeping with him. He was cute after all. 

“Sure,” She finally decided. She sent a text to Natalie notifying her that she was headed home with someone. And she knew that she would be grilled the following afternoon. 

Then, she took his hand and they left the noise of the party behind them. Her fourth mistake. 

-X- 

He took her bowling, because of course a boy so cute had to be sweet too. His words had no double entendres; he really wanted to relax. 

They ate dinner, loaded cauliflower, cheese fries, and pretzel bites, and Philip pulled out an ID and ordered cocktails for the both of them, no questions asked. 

“I’m underage,” said Theo. Despite being a sophomore, she was still nineteen and wouldn’t be twenty until June.

Philip waved his hand. “They don’t care;” He said. “They know me well enough.” 

They shrugged at that and then sipped her drink when it came. Afterwards, she demonstrated how truly awful she was at bowling. They had fun, mostly laughing at Theo’s antics when compared to Philip’s near perfect bowl. School wasn’t brought up again, and it was nice. 

Afterwards, they stood outside of the bowling alley. 

“I had a lot of fun tonight,” said Philip. “Should I uh, call you an Uber or would you like to come back to my place?” 

This time, Theo knew that there was most definitely double entendres behind his words. “I’d like to hang out some more,” said Theo. “If that’s okay with you.” 

And that, was her fifth mistake. 

-X- 

She found herself doubled over the toilet on the morning of her last final seven weeks later. 

“Oh my god,” said Natalie. “Please don’t tell me you’re pregnant. If you are; you’re so dead. Dad will kill you.” 

Theo wiped her mouth, spitting the remnants of bile into the toilet. 

“My last and hardest final is this morning,” said Theo. “It’s just nerves.” 

Natalie fixed her with a skeptical look. “There’s a test in my bathroom,” she said. 

“Why?” Theo asked, looking oddly at her sister. 

“Because I’m a hoe, and I had a scare a month ago,” said Natalie. “Thank god it was just bad Chinese food.”

Theo sighed. “I’ll take it after class. No use in stressing about it now. I’ll see you later.” 

Theo stood, and stalked out of the bathroom. 

-X- 

True to her word, Natalie was waiting for her when she got back from her final. She handed Theo a box. 

“Pee on this,” she instructed. 

Theo blinked. “I don’t have to pee right now?” She said quietly. 

“Just think of niagara falls or something,” said Natalie. 

“I don’t see why this is an issue,” said Theo. “I’m on birth control, we used a condom, and I feel fine right now.” 

“All the more reason to take it,” Natalie argued. “Just to be sure.” 

Theo shrugged and snatched the test, determined to prove her sister wrong. It didn’t take her long to get enough of a stream to completely soak the two tests. She set a timer on her phone and waited. A minute later, Natalie knocked on the door. 

Theo opened it. 

“I figured you would need some company.” Natalie stepped into the bathroom and settled in the edge of the tub. “Just in case.” 

They waited together, in silence, until the timer buzzed. 

“You look,” Theo ordered her sister. “I can’t do it.” 

Natalie grabbed the two tests. “Shit,” she breathed out. 

“Don’t fuck with me, Nat,” said Theo. 

“I’m not kidding,” said Natalie. She handed Theo the test. There, in plain English, it read. “Pregnant, 3+ weeks.” 

Theo swore. “It has to be a false positive. There’s absolutely no way.” 

“Statistically,” said Natalie. “False negatives are far more likely. And besides, it’s positive on both.” 

Theo took a deep breath. There was no way in hell she was knocked up. It was impossible. She had been careful, smart, responsible, like her dad had taught her. 

“What do you want to do?” Asked Natalie. 

“I should talk to the dad,” said Theo softly. It seemed like the most logical thing to do. And she still had Philip’s number, although she hadn’t messaged him since the morning of. 

“Right now?” Natalie asked. 

Theo nodded. “Hopefully he’s still in town. It’s not something I want to tell him over text, and by the time break is over I’ll be like twelve weeks.”

Natalie nodded, and handed Theo her phone. 

Theo opened iMessage and sent a text to Philip. 

Are you still in town? 

His reply was almost instant. 

Yeah. Why? 

Wanna grab some ice cream? Theo replied. It sounded good. 

Yeah. What time? 

Theo glanced at her watch. It was one in the afternoon. 

Like, maybe four o’clock or so. 

Sounds great. He replied. Wanna meet at the ice cream place down the street from MIT? 

Theo’s mouth watered. She loved that place. 

Yeah. See you then. 

“He has no idea what’s about to hit him,” said Natalie. “Huh?”

Theo sighed. “No clue,” she answered. 

-X- 

Philip was exhausted. His Constitutional Government final had kicked his ass. But he was excited to see Theo again. They had had an incredible evening, and honestly he wished that he would have texted her back sooner, but then school got into full swing, and then Thanksgiving and then finals soon after, and he hadn’t had time. 

He had arrived early, and now he waited, unsure of whether or not to order an ice cream or wait for Theo. He didn’t have to contemplate for long because a moment later the door chimes and Theo entered. 

“Hey,” said Theo with a soft smile. 

“Hi,” He said quietly. “You wanna get some ice cream?” 

“That’s why we’re here,” Theo laughed as she stepped into line. 

He noticed that her demeanor seemed more downtrodden then last time. But finals did that to people. He inhaled sharply, and then ordered a cherry sorbet that he had heard wonderful things about. Theo ordered plain vanilla and the two of them sat down. 

“So why’d you want to meet?” Philip asked. He was unsure if this was another date or perhaps something else. 

“I have something to tell you,” Theo mumbled, averting her gorgeous brown eyes. And then suddenly he knew. 

“You’re pregnant,” He said. At the same time that Theo said. “I’m pregnant.” 

“How’d you know?” Theo looked skeptical and raised an eyebrow at him. 

“A girl texts a guy six weeks after they had sex wanting to talk,” said Philip. “I’ve seen enough movies to know what that means.” 

Theo sighed. “I was on birth control,” she said. “I wasn’t lying about that. It failed.” 

“I believe you,” said Philip. “And I used a condom. I didn’t lie about that either. God, I would _never_ lie about that. Guess life was just determined to throw a curveball.” 

Theo sighed, sticking her spoon into her ice cream a little too harshly. 

“I figured I would talk to you before I made a decision,” said Theo. “I mean, I get the final say, but I wanted to know how you felt.”

Philip swallowed thickly. He was a firm believer in a woman’s right to choose, and if that was what Theo chose, he would be okay with it. But he wouldn’t mind being a father either. He was young still, but wouldn’t dream of abandoning his child. 

“I’ll support you in whatever you choose,” Philip answered honestly. “If you want to terminate, I will drive you there and I’ll pay. If you choose to keep it, I want to be apart of my kid’s life.”

“Okay,” said Theo. “I haven’t decided, but I wanted to know if you were interested in being a part of this.” 

“I’m not going to skip out on you or my kid. My parents raised me way better than that.” 

Theo nodded. “I still have to think about it,” she said. “And break’s coming up and this really couldn’t have happened at a more inconvenient time.” 

“I won’t tell my family anything until you’re comfortable.” said Philip. “Besides, my parents would kill me, and I’m not keen on dying until at least spring break.” 

Theo chuckled. “My dad’s gonna be pissed,” she said, taking another bite of her ice cream. 

“Is he gonna kill me?” Philip asked nervously. 

“I hope not,” said Theo. “It wouldn’t bode well for his career.” 

Philip chuckled. 

“I think,” Theo said. “I think I want to do this.” 

Philip exhaled. “Okay, so we’re doing this.” 

-X- 

Philip arrived in upstate New York less than twenty four hours later. 

“Phil and Frances are home!” Announced what sounded like Angie, and then there was a following of what felt like a massive brigade of footsteps. Lizzie was the first to reach him, and Philip crouched down to hug her. 

“Hi pretty,” He said softly. “How are you?” 

Lizzie babbled, a mess of words tumbling from her mouth faster than Philip could understand. She was signing more efficiently too, her fingers flying faster than Philip could grasp with his limited knowledge of ASL.

“I missed you too, Lizzie,” he said to the four year old, hoping that those words were amongst what Lizzie had said. 

Next came the younger boys, Will tackled Frances, and Jack enveloped Philip into a hug. 

“Hey buddy,” said Philip. “I missed ya.” 

“I have so much to tell you!” Said Jack. “I finished my second book and Mom said it’s the best she’s ever read.”

“That’s only because she refuses to read my 220 thousand word Captain America fic.” Philip mock pouted. He was damn proud of his Captain America fic. It was in the top ten most popular fics in the fandom. 

Moments later the foyer became incredible noisy, with hugs being exchanged and names being shouted. 

“Are we allowed to leave from the doorway now?” Frances asked after she had hugged Angie, the oldest of the kids (older than AJ by 6 minutes and she never let him forget). “Or is that not a thing?” 

“Not until I get a hug,” came a voice from the hallway. It was Philip’s Papí, John Laurens. Philip grinned. 

“And me,” his mom chimed in. He hugged the two of them tightly. 

“Both of your rooms are ready.” Mom smiled at the two of them. “Dinner's almost ready, too.” Mom pointed at Philip’s younger siblings, all of whom were being rambunctious and tittering at the sight of their older siblings. “You six, go wash up. And there will be a surprise for you at dinner.” 

Philip listened to the chorus of complaints as the kids tumbled through the foyer and down the hallway. “Is dad coming back today?” He asked. 

Mom nodded. “His plane just touched down about an hour ago, and he’ll be here in ten minutes. He was so sure they’d adjourn late this year, but miracles happen.” 

“When did you guys get back?” Philip asked his mom, shouldering his bag so that he would head to his room. 

“We flew back as soon as the kids got out of school, so three days ago.” 

“And I’m sure air travel with six kids was just a blast,” said Frances. 

“It was fine.” Mom sighed; she looked exhausted however. “The kids know how to behave. Now you two, go get ready to eat.” 

-X- 

Theo arrived home with Francis around the same time. She was exhausted, from traveling and the pregnancy hormones, and she wanted nothing more than to sleep. 

Her stepmom, Betty, was sitting in the living room reading a book. 

“Hey.” Theo entered the living room, a smile on her face. 

“Oh,” Betty looked up. “You guys are home. Your father didn’t tell me you were flying back today or I would have cooked something.” Betty glanced at her watch. “I suppose I could whip up something fairly quickly.” 

“It’s fine,” said Natalie quickly. “Theo and I had Chili’s at the airport. When does Dad get back by the way?”

Betty smiled. “They adjourned yesterday and he should be here within the hour.” 

“Good,” said Natalie. “Theo has to tell him something.” 

Theo glared daggers at her sister. “No, Theo doesn’t.” 

Betty looked at the two skeptically. 

Theo sighed. “I’m going to put my stuff away before Dad gets here. Cmon, Nat.”

-X- 

Dad came an hour later, fuming. Theo was sitting on the couch reading a book about an engineering lab who was making a surface similar to snake skin, and Nat was doodling. 

“That goddamn Alexander Hamilton.” Dad dropped his suitcase on the floor in anger.

“Oh,” said Betty softly, standing to hug her husband. 

“I can’t stand him,” continued Dad. 

“What happened?” Asked Betty. 

“He still supports Thomas Jefferson,” said Dad. 

Theo perked up. She often enjoyed hearing stories from her father about his time on the Senate. 

“Isn’t he a Republican, although very left leaning?” Natalie asked. 

“Exactly,” said Dad. “He honestly thinks that a tentative alliance with the House and Senate Republicans could be the key to winning next year’s election.”

“And what do you think?” Theo asked. 

“The man is a damned idiot if he thinks he’s getting support from any other than the Republican Senator who is basically a democrat.” Dad hugged and settled into an empty chair. “And to think the fool is planning to run for President. The press is going to take one look at his family, and drag him through the mud, and frankly, I’m here for that.” 

“What’s wrong with his family?” Betty asked. “We met his wife at the Winter Ball, and she was very kind.” 

“It’s his wife that’s the issue, actually,” Dad pointed out. “Half of his kids look nothing like him, so Hamilton is either blind of ignoring the issue.” 

“You can’t really say much, Dad, considering that you started dating Mom when she was still married and her husband was deployed,” Theo offered. 

Dad was quiet. “It’s just that Hamilton is too far left for the American people to vote for. He might win the primaries, but he won’t stand a chance against Trump in the election.” 

“Then why don’t you run against him,” Betty suggested. “I mean, if you honestly think his politics are bad for the party, why not run in the primaries as well.” There was a touch of sarcasm in her voice, and Theo couldn’t tell if she was serious or not. 

Dad, however, took her words to heart. “I just might,” he mused. 

-X- 

Philip and the kids were sitting at the table when the front door opened. “It’s Dad!” Yelled William. 

The kids jumped up, deserting the table before Mom and Papí could bring out dinner. 

Philip stood up slowly and Frances followed. 

The kids had already tackled Dad and they were chattering excitedly. Philip stepped forward and embraced his father. 

“Hey kiddo,” said Dad softly. “How is everything?” And for a moment, Philip wanted to tell dad everything. But he decided against it, mainly because his seven siblings were gathered around him, but his dad just had that calming effect. 

“It’s good,” said Philip softly, releasing his dad. 

They all traveled back to the kitchen where dinner, lasagna, salad and breadsticks was waiting for them. 

“It’s Friday,” Dad announced unceremoniously. It meant that he had permission to talk about work. Mom had Tuesdays and Papí had Sundays. 

“What happened?” Mom asked.

“Senator Burr,” said Dad. “He thinks that the ideology of getting some of the more left leaning Republicans on our side is flawed, but he hasn’t actually listened to my side of the story.” 

“So he’s arguing with you just to argue?” Papí asked curiously. 

“Essentially, and there’s that and the fact that…” Dad trailed off, obviously determining that his following statements weren’t appropriate for the dinner table. “I’ll tell you guys later,” he continued. Then, he looked around the table. “So, who’s going Christmas shopping with me tomorrow?” He asked. 

 

-X- 

Later that evening, after all the kids except Angie and AJ had gone either to bed or to play video games or watch TV, the adults sat in the living room. 

“So what exactly happened and why was it so bad you didn’t want to tell the kids?” Asked Papí softly. 

“Lee made a snide comment about the kids,” said Dad. “He said that we shouldn’t lower ourselves to the standards of Republicans, especially after Jefferson got caught a few weeks ago, but that I probably didn’t mind considering that my own wife was, and I quote, an adulterous whore.” Dad spat the words out with venom. 

“I’m gonna kill him,” said Papí, rising from his chair as if to do something. 

“Babe,” said Dad. “Sit down. Outsiders are always going to look at us weird. I mean, half my kids look nothing like me, and I’m okay with that,” He clarified, glancing at Frances and Philip. “But, if it comes down to my career and you guys, I will choose you every single time. I promise that nothing will come between us.” 

Mom stood and walked over to Dad. She rubbed his shoulders softly, as if to relieve the pressure. “You’re tense,” she whispered. Dad slumped in his chair. 

Papí stood. “Let’s go to bed,” He said to Mom and Dad in a tone that made Philip very very glad their house was relatively soundproof. 

-X-

Theo vomited for the fourth time on December 23rd. She sighed, rinsed her mouth, and then ran into Betty outside of the bathroom. Betty gave her a long look, but said nothing. Theo brushed it off. 

She went downstairs and made herself a cup of decaffeinated coffee. She turned when she heard footsteps behind her. 

“Coffee’s bad for the baby,” said Betty casually. 

“What?” Theo asked, turning around. 

“Caffeine,” said Betty. “Is bad for the baby.” 

“I’m not…” Theo trailed off. 

“Your Dad may be as dense as a block of wood, but you’re fooling no one vomiting every morning.” 

Theo sighed. “I’m only seven weeks, and this is decaf.”

Betty hummed. “I’ll make you an appointment with my OB for the new year, make sure the baby’s okay.” 

Theo nodded. This was going to get very real. 

-X- 

Sure enough, January 3rd found Theo with her legs in stirrups and her stepmom’s OBGYN probing her uterus. It was a lot less fun getting the baby checked up than it was making it. The probe was absolutely freezing and the only thing making it worth it was the tiny black picture on the screen. 

“That’s your baby,” announced the doctor. 

Theo was in shock. That was her baby. 

“Have you been notified of your options?” The doctor asked. 

“I’m keeping it,” said Theo. 

The doctor nodded. “I can recommend you a doctor in Boston. She’s absolutely fabulous. I’ll prescribe you with some prenatal vitamins, but she’ll get you situated with a medical history and general care.”

Theo nodded. “That sounds great.”

“I’ll email your script to Walgreen’s,” said the doctor. “Would you like photos?” She asked. 

Theo nodded. 

The doctor printed out two ultrasound photos and handed them to Theo. Theo started at them. She took a snapshot of one and sent it to Philip. 

It would be the deciding factor as to whether or not he really wanted to be apart of his child’s life. 

-X- 

Philip was working on the sequel to his Cap fanfic in the kid’s ‘office’ when his phone buzzed. Frances, who was sitting next to him in the office, grabbed it before he could. 

She stared at his phone for a moment. “What the fuck?” She said. 

“What are you talking about?” Philip asked, turning around in the chair quickly. 

“Did you knock a girl up?” Asked Frances. 

“Wait, what?” Philip asked. 

Frances handed him his phone. On it was a text from Theo, with a sonogram photo. 

Philip sighed. “I met a girl at that party you dragged me too and we went bowling and then back to my place. She told me before she left for break that she was pregnant. We decided that we’re keeping it.” 

Frances pulled up closer to her brother. “What are you gonna do?” She asked. 

“I’m going to do exactly what Papí did for you,” said Philip. “I’m going to raise my kid, no matter what. That’s my flesh and blood.” 

Frances stared at the photo. “I’m gonna be an auntie,” she said. “I call dibs on being god mom or I’m telling Mom and Dads.” 

“That’s evil,” said Philip. “But, okay, godmother Frances. God, that sounds like a saint or something.” 

Frances grinned. “And that’s why you’re my absolute favorite brother.” 

-X- 

The end of January came all too quickly, and with it came the end of break for Theo. She was nervous about heading back to school. After all, she would be taking on sixteen hours with a kid on the way. But she wanted to graduate and on time. It helped that the the baby was due mid July. She’d have to find reliable childcare before she headed back to school in the fall, but it was doable, especially if Philip made good on his promise to help her. 

She had invited him to her second appointment, and sure enough, Philip was standing outside of the OBGYN office when she arrived. 

“Hi,” said Theo. 

“How are you feeling?” Philip asked. 

“I’m fine,” sid Theo. “I’m just beyond exhausted but the baby books said that it’ll subside the further I get into the second trimester.” 

“I can’t believe you’re already eleven weeks,” said Philip. “It seems like just yesterday we were bowling, and now,” Philip exhaled sharply. “I’m going to be a father.” 

“It’s crazy,” Theo agreed. They walked into the office. 

Theo checked in. 

“We’re a little early,” said Theo. “Maybe we should play twenty questions, get to know each other.” 

“I think we already know each other quite well, in the biblical sense,” chortled Philip. 

Theo hit him playfully and Philip laughed. 

“Where are you from?” He asked. 

“New York City,” Theo answered. “You?” 

“New York, but upstate, Albany area,” said Philip. “Your turn.” 

“What is your favorite color?

“Easy, green. Yours?” 

“Blue,” said Theo. “Or gunmetal grey. Why’d you choose Harvard?”

“i wanted to go to an Ivy League, and I wanted to be a considerable distance from my family but not too far,” said Philip. “Why’d you pick MIT?” 

“My sister went to Harvard. I wanted to be close, and engineering is my passion,” answered Theo. 

“Okay, bouncing of your last response, how many siblings do you have?” Asked Philip. 

“I have seven, but Natalie’s the only one that grew up with me. My next oldest sibling is twelve years older than me, and the only ones that still talk to me after my Mom died are my two older brothers. ” said Theo. “What about you? I know you have a sister. Are there any others?” 

Philip laughed heartily. “I have seven siblings also; Frances is the only one older than me, though.” 

“Wow,” said Theo. “That’s crazy. I honestly don’t know what it’d be like to have all eight of us under one roof.” 

“You’re telling me,” said Philip. “I have absolutely no idea how my parents manage.” 

“Speaking of my parents, what does yours do?” Theo asked. 

“My mom’s a lobbyist for child welfare, and my dad’s a senator,” said Philip. 

“My dad’s a senator too!” Said Theo, excitedly. 

Philip paused. “For New York?” He asked. 

“Yes,” answered Theo slowly, realizing dawning on her. “You’re Philip Hamilton, aren’t you?” she said quietly. 

“And you’re Theodosia Burr.” Replied Obilio. 

“My Dad is going to kill me,” they said in unison. 

“Theodosia Burr,” called the nurse. 

The two of them stood. 

“We shouldn’t let this get between us,” said Philip. “I mean, we have a kid to worry about. We shouldn’t put too much merit in an argument between our fathers.” 

Theo nodded solemnly. She did remember what her father said about the Hamilton family, that Hamilton defended infidelity and half his kids looked nothing like him or his wife, but this was different. Philip was different; he had to be.

“You okay?” Philip asked. 

Theo nodded. “It’s just a lot to process.” 

“We can get through this,” He said softly. 

The nurse handed them both health history paperwork. “This will be due by your sixteen week appointment. That’s the best time for an amino, so it’d be nice to know what to look for.” 

The nurse measured Theo’s weight and BMI, and then she called for the doctor. 

Theo breathed. Why the hell couldn’t life just leave her alone?

-X- 

They went out for ice cream afterward. “I’ll have to call Mom and Papí for medical information. Hopefully I can pass it off as a project or something, but this honestly never comes up.” 

“I’ll probably ask my stepmom,” said Theo. “She found out over break and she’s good at getting things out of my Dad.” 

“Honestly, my Papí will just be glad I’m showing an interest in my health. He wanted me to go to Columbia Medical School like him,” Philip smiled nostalgically. 

Theo frowned, perplexed. “I thought you said your Dad was Alexander Hamilton,” she said. “And I know that him and my dad have been rivals since law school.” 

Philip froze. Then, he swore. Was Philip lying? 

“Look,” said Philip. “What I tell you right now you can’t tell anyone, not even your dad, especially not your dad. My Dad, Alexander, isn’t my biological father.” 

Theo’s has dropped. “So your mom cheated?” She asked. 

“No,” said Philip. His eyes portrayed the disgust in his tone. “My parents were broke when they got married. My mom was just nineteen and my grandfather was so pissed about their relationship that he refused my mom access to her trust fund. So they lived in a tiny ass place in Harlem with my dad’s best friend and his daughter. And my dad was in love with his best friend, but he was never unfaithful to my mom.But then stuff happened and, uh,” Philip stuttered. “And then she found out she was pregnant with me and had no idea who my dad was. And it was rough for them, but from my understanding they came out stronger, and since I've been a kid I’ve always had three parents who loved me and my siblings.”

“So they’re, they’re…..” Theo searches for the right word. 

“They’re polyamorous,” supplied Philip. “You can’t tell anyone. It would destroy my dad’s career and probably my mom’s too. My dad wants to run for President, and my mom helps foster kids, and this would probably kill them. Please, Theo, promise.” 

Theo nodded. She didn’t understand it, but the look in Philip’s eyes made it seem so serious. She knew it was important to him. 

“Does it bother you?” Theo asked. 

“Does what?” Asked Philip. 

“Having three parents, is it weird?” She clarified. 

Philip shook his head. “It’s normal to me,” said Philip. “I’ve had two dads and a mom my whole life. The weirdest thing was having it drilled into me that I couldn’t talk about my Papí at school.” 

“That must’ve sucked,” said Theo. 

“It felt worse when I found out that Papí was my biological dad, not that I don’t love Dad. I mean, he’s probably my favorite parent, it sucked.” 

“I’m sorry,” said Theo. “I really am.” 

-X- 

They met for ice cream or pizza or just dinner once a week. 

It was nice. They slowly got to know each and other, and by the time Theo’s sixteen week appointment rolled around, they felt pretty comfortable with each other. 

“How are you feeling?” The nurse, nurse Avery asked. 

“I’m doing great,” said Theo. “I’m not tired anymore, but my feet are swelling.” 

Nurse Avery nodded. “That’s normal among pregnant moms. It’s nothing to worry about.” 

“I could give you foot massages,” Theo piped up from his chair. “I’ve been told that I’m good at those.” 

Nurse Avery laughed out loud. “That’s a good one right there,” she said. “You’d better take him up on that.” 

Theo smiled and glanced at Philip. “I just might,” she agreed.

“The doctor should be in here in just a few minutes,” said the Nurse, and then she walked out of the room. 

Theo turned to Philip. “Were you serious about the foot rubs?” She asked. 

Philip nodded enthusiastically. “I have six younger siblings, remember? I know how taxing pregnancy can be on a person’s body. And my Papí and Dad used to give my mom foot rubs all the time. So I would love to give you one.” 

“I’d like that,” said Theo. They held eye contact for a long moment, until the doctor stepped in. 

“Good morning,” said Dr. Hosack. 

“Morning,” chorused Theo and Philip in unison. 

“How are we today?” She asked. 

“I’m good,” said Theo. “My feet hurt, but Philip here promised me a foot rub, and I’m holding him to it.” 

Dr. Hosack chuckled. “That’s an excellent Dad right there,” she said. “Speaking of parenting, it might be a good time to consider working in a birth plan. While you still have at least eighteen weeks, who really want to have a plan that you can tweak and things before it’s too late.” Dr. Hosack gestured for Theo to pull up her shirt. She squirted some of the gel onto Theo’s bare stomach. “You’re going to want to consider things whether you want to do this naturally or with an epidural, where you want to give birth, and who you want in the room, whether it’s just Philip or the baby’s grandparents too.” 

Theo and Philip chuckled in unison. 

“What?” Dr. Hosack asked as she rubbed the wand on Theo’s stomach.

“Our Dads, um,” Theo laughed. “They hate each other. Like, they’re sworn enemies, and oh god,” Theo laughed harder. 

“We haven’t told them anything,” continued Philip. “Because we’d be super dead.” He gasped for breath and his laughter slowed. 

Dr. Hosack in turn, smiled, and then she turned the ultrasound machine to face them. “There’s your little one,” she said. 

“Holy shit,” said Philip. They looked so much more fully formed than they had at the last appointment, like an actual baby. 

“Would you like to know the sex?” Asked Dr. Hosack. “You little one is cooperating very well, and it’s quite clear.”

Theo and Philip looked at each other then nodded enthusiastically. 

“Well,” said Dr. Hosack. “It looks like you guys will be having a baby girl.” 

“Wow,” said Theo. 

Philip was in shock too. He wondered, if this was what his parents felt like, in their bones, when they found out about him. And had it been like that for every child? Because Philip felt like his heart was going to explode. How had they managed this for so many kids without their heart being shattered to pieces in the best way?

“We’re having a girl.” His eyes were watering. 

“Are you crying?” Asked Theo, her tone felt half teasing. 

Philip nodded. “Don’t laugh,” He said. 

“I’m not,” said Theo. “It’s super sweet.” 

“Would you like to hear her heartbeat?” Dr. Hosack asked. They both nodded again, and a loud whooshing filled the room. 

It was- 

“It’s so fast,” said Theo. 

Dr Hosack smiled. “She’s right on track,” she said. “It’ll slow down before she’s born.” 

And now, Philip was crying in earnest. This felt all the more real to him. He was going to have a daughter. He was going to have a little girl. 

“Alright,” said Dr. Hosack as she wiped off Theo’s belly. “Everything looks great. There’s no risk factors in your paperwork, but I was wondering if you guys wanted to do the amniocentesis?”

Philip looked at Theo. It was her choice, even if he didn’t want to risk it. 

Theo shook her head. 

“Okay,” said Dr. Hosack. “I’ll see you in a month. You can schedule an appointment with my receptionist. Give me a call if there’s any issues and we can schedule one for earlier.” 

Theo nodded and the two of them stood up and followed the doctor out of the room. Philip reached his hand and lightly grabbed Theo. Theo intertwined her fingers with his, and she squeezed tightly. They scheduled an appointment with the receptionist for three weeks later, and then they walked outside. 

“We’re having a girl,” said Philip breathlessly. 

“That we are,” said Theo. She turned to face Philip. 

He was grinning. He was just thrilled. And maybe his brain wasn’t working, and perhaps his heart was, because he leaned down and kissed Theo. 

And at first it was all tongue and teeth, but then it became slow and passionate, somehow entirely more passionate than that one night they had spent together. 

Philip pulled away sheepishly. “I’m sorry,” He said quickly. “I probably shouldn’t have done that.”

Theo just smiled at him. “I liked it,” she said softly.

“Wanna go bowling?” He whispered. 

Theo nodded. “Only if I get my foot rub afterward.” 

Philip grinned and raised four fingers in mock salute. “Scout’s honor.” 

-X- 

Spring break came too quickly. In that, Theo was definitely showing now and it was time for them to tell their parents. So, before the both boarded the flight to Washington DC with their respective siblings, Philip sent his mom a text with a request for a parent meeting when he got back. 

She replied almost instantly. 

Just me and Dad or everyone? She asked. 

Everyone and Angie. Philip replied. 

His mom just sent back a thumbs up. She had no idea what was about to hit her, hit them. 

“Mom’s going to end your whole life over this,” said Frances. 

“Not if Dad gets to me first,” said Philip. And he wasn’t kidding. They settled on the plane and Philip grabbed Theo’s hand and didn’t let go until they landed.

-X-

The house was eerily silent when Philip opened the door.

“Mom! Dads!” Called Angie. “Phil and Frances are here. And Phil brought a girl!” She continued as she stepped into the foyer. She took a long look at Theo. 

“Mom’s going to murder you,” said Angie. “You got a girl pregnant before you graduated.” 

“I used a condom,” said Philip. “It’s not my fault.” 

Angie raised an eyebrow. “It’ll be nice having only 4 brothers.” 

“Shut up Angelica,” said Philip. 

“Mom and Dads are in the living room,” said Angie. 

Philip grabbed Theo’s hand and followed Angie and Frances into the living room. True to Angie’s word, their parents were sitting on the couch talking. 

“Hey Philip,” said Dad with a soft smile. “I see you brought a girl home.” 

And then, for a long moment it was dead silent. 

Finally, Papí spoke, “Philip Rafael Hamilton.” 

 

Philip rarely got his middle name used, but this shit was serious. 

“Yes, Father,” said Philip quietly. 

“I though we raised you to be smarter than this,” Papí reprimanded him. 

“I used a condom,” Philip defended.

“And I was on birth control,” offered Theo. 

“It’s okay,” said Dad. “We will figure this out.”

“Oh,” said Frances. “It gets worse. So much worse.” 

Philip glared daggers at his sister. If looks could kill…

“How so?” Mom asked. Her voice was broken, like she was about to cry, but she didn’t sound angry. 

Theo spoke up, looking directly at Dad. “My Father is Senator Aaron Burr, sir.” 

The silence returned. 

Then, Dad stood. “Fuck,” he mumbled, slamming his foot into the side table. “Ouch,” Dad howled, recoiling in pain, and then he limped up the stairs. 

Philip moved to follow him, but Mom’s words stopped him. 

“Leave him be,” said Mom. “He’s just really upset.” Mom turned to Theo. “What’s your name darling?”

Theo smiled. “My name is Theodosia, but most people call me Theo,” she said. 

“It’s nice to meet you Theo,” said Mom. “I’m Eliza, and that’s Philip’s Papí, John, and the one that just stormed upstairs is his dad, Alex.” 

“It’s nice to meet you guys,” said Theo. “I’m sorry it wasn’t under better circumstances.” 

“Nonsense,” said Eliza. “I’m going to be a grandmother. Nevermind that I’m barely forty.” She glanced at her son. 

“Like I said,” said Philip. “I used a condom, like I was always taught. And I’m being an adult and taking care of my child and girlfriend. I don’t know what more you can ask of me.” 

His mom smiled. “Do you have plans for finishing school?” She asked the two of them. 

“I’m only taking twelve hours for the fall semester,” said Theo. “I’m due mid July, so we’ll probably have to work out childcare.” 

“I’m glad you guys are staying in school,” said Eliza. “I’m not sure if Philip told you, but I was just nineteen when I had him and I was working on my degree. He was a bump in the road and it was difficult having two infants in the house.” She gestured at Frances. 

Theo pressed her hands to her belly. 

“Have you found out the sex?” Eliza asked. 

“It’s a girl,” answered Philip with a smile. 

“Oh my,” said Eliza. “We do need some more estrogen around here.” 

Theo turned to Philip with a raised eyebrow. “I have four brothers and three sisters,” he said. “Plus my dads and my Papi’s turtles and the ladies are outnumbered 2 to 1.”

Theo smiled. “I’m happy to help even the scale I guess,” she said with a laugh. 

“I suppose you probably want to get to your father’s house and let them know,” said Eliza. “From what Alex told me, they’ll be extremely busy at the Senate this week, so it may be best to tell him tonight.” 

“I’m in no hurry to die,” said Philip. 

“Go on,” said Eliza. “And Philip, Senator Burr is a Democrat, I highly doubt that he has a gun in his home.” 

-X- 

Theo opened the door to her home. It wasn’t nearly as large as Alex’s, but she didn’t have nearly a dozen people living there. Still, it was six bedrooms and pretty nicely sized. 

“Daddy,” she called out softly. It would help to lay on the darling daughter bit pretty thick. Maybe he wouldn’t kill her.

“We’re in the living room,” came her dad’s response.

Theo grabbed Philip’s hand and the two of them walked into the living room. Dad and Betty were both reading. Dad looked up. 

“What’s the Hamilton boy doing here?” Dad asked, his words came out with venom. 

He turned to Theo, eyes immediately gravitating toward the bulge in her stomach. 

“Let me explain,” said Theo quickly. 

Dad was pissed. “Theo,” He said. “I thought we raised you better than this. You’re so smart, and you have such a future ahead of you.” 

“I know,” said Theo. “We were careful.” 

“Not careful enough,” Dad said, standing and gesturing at Theo’s belly. 

“We used protection, and I was on birth control,” said Theo. “Life just happened.” 

“You’re better than this,” said Dad quietly, and it hurt. 

“With all due respect, sir,” said Philip, but his concession went unheard because suddenly he was clutching his eye doubled over in pain. 

“What the fuck, dad?” Theo gelled, livid. 

“He’s just like his father,” said Dad, putting the word father in air quotes. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Said Phillip, still clutching his eye in pain. But he looked ready to fight. 

“It means that you think you’re smarter and better than everyone else in the room, but really you’re just a bastard that knocked up my daughter,” said Dad, his voice reeking with poison. 

“Excuse you,” retorted Philip. “I am not a bastard.” 

“Oh really,” said Dad. And Theo wanted to scream at him to stop. “Because everybody knows that Alexander Hamilton is so obviously not your father that it’s just sad. Either your Dad is oblivious or he’s a cuckold that doesn’t care that your Mom is an adulterous whore.” 

“Fuck you,” Philip said. “You don’t know anything about my family and you’d better watch what you say about my mom.” 

Dad was deadly silent. 

Betty stood up. “Aaron, you need to calm down before you do something you regret.” 

“Elizabeth,” said Dad. 

“Now,” Betty commanded. 

Dad made an inhuman groan then he stormed to his office. 

“Motherfuckstick!” Dad screamed. There was a sound of crashing items and some more shrieking, and then Dad came out clutching his hand. He stormed down the hallway, swung open the front door, and left. 

“Where’s he going?” Theo asked 

Betty glanced at Philip. “if I had to guess, it’s your house.” 

Philip paled. “Fuck, I have to go.” 

-X- 

Philip sped most of the way home, turning on Waze to be alerted of any speed traps or police officers. He couldn’t get pulled over. 

He arrived just as Burr was pulling into his driveway.

“Just leave, please,” said Philip as he stepped out of his car. “It’s not worth it.”

“I need to talk to your father,” said Burr. 

“No,” said Philip. “You can talk to him at work. Leave my family out of this.” 

Burr knocked on his door. Dad opened it a moment later. 

Burr didn’t take a moment’s glance at him before he was swinging, hard. 

“Goddamnit,” howled Dad. “Fuck you Burr.” 

Dad swung back, hitting Burr square on the nose. 

“Alex, babe,” said Papí, and Philip could have screamed. He wanted to scream, but he was frozen in his spot. “Who's at the door?” 

Papí came into view of the doorframe. It only took Burr a second to put two and two together. After all, Philip was a carbon copy of his biological father. There hadn’t been an ounce of question when he was born. 

“Oh my god,” said Burr. “So you’re the bastard that poor Hamilton’s wife cheated on him with.” He snickered. “Oh, this is so much better than I thought.” 

“Leave us alone, Burr,” said Dad. “My private life is none of your business.” 

“What’s wrong?” Asked a voice from the hallway. 

“Angie,” said Papí. He spoke the next part in Spanish. “Take Jacky, William, and Lizzie upstairs and let them watch Trolls.” He turned to Dad, Burr, and Philip. “And go ask your Mom to come downstairs. Tell her Senator Burr is here. And text your grandfather and ask him to keep AJ and James until later tonight.” 

“Sí, sir.”Angie walked back to the living room. 

“You three,” He said. “Inside. We’re going to talk about this like adults, and you need ice on your injuries. And Alex, you shouldn’t be on your foot at all.” 

They all settled at the kitchen table, and Papí busied himself making ice packs for the three of them. Dad and Burr mostly glared at each other, and Philip just stared at the table. He was too tired and in too much pain for this shit. Why was this his life?

Mom came floating into the kitchen, looking exhausted. “I thought you and Alex were going to the ER.” She turned and scanned the kitchen until her eyes rested on Burr. “Shit,” she said. 

“And my foot is fine,” said Dad. 

“It’s purple,” said Mom. She grabbed the bags of ice from Papí and handed it to Philip. He put it on his eye and the relief was immediate. 

“Thanks,” he said quietly.

Papí handed ice to Dad and Burr. 

Then he and Mom sat at the table. 

“We’re going to be civil, like adults,” said John. 

“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t tell the whole fucking party,” said Burr. 

“Because that’s exactly what’s expected of you,” spat Dad. “You’d be absolutely willing to destroy my career and family if it made you feel better about your chances of being re-elected.” 

“Not true.” 

“Senator Burr,” seethed Dad. “You don’t have morals; you’d do anything to advance your career.” 

“And you wouldn’t?” Asked Burr. “Obviously you don’t care that your wife is cheating on you. But of course, she’s a lobbyist who works on mostly democratic bills. It must be convenient for you.” 

“Fuck you,”said Dad. “My wife isn’t cheating.” 

Burr gestured Philip as if to prove his point. “I don’t know if you’re blind, Senator Hamilton, but your son looks like a carbon copy of your buddy right there.” 

They were at a stalemate. It was either Burr was exposing Mom as an “adulterer”or Dad telling the truth. 

“Eliza didn’t cheat,” said Dad. “She hasn’t cheated on me,” Dad paused, and then pointed to Papí. “Or us.” 

“So this is like Sister Wives, no, brother husbands,” Burr said through laughter. “This just gets better and better.” 

“With all due respect, shut the fuck up, Senator Burr!” Yelled Dad. “We’re polyamorous. And my private life is none of your business. You can destroy my career if you wish, but leave my family out of it.” 

Burr stood. “I won’t drag your family into the spotlight,” He said. “But I will keep this is mind if you decide to run for President.” 

He walked out the front door. 

Dad was dead silent, but he was crying. Philip could count on two hands the about of times he had seen his dad cry. It hurt. He had caused this. 

“Dad.” Philip didn’t know what to say. Dad looked up, and the tears shining in his eyes were almost worse than daggers. Philip could handle daggers. “I’m sorry.” 

“I know,” said Dad. “I just need to think.” 

“No,” said Mom. “You need to go to the ER. Your foot is bright purple and twice its usual size. You can think while you wait for two hours.” 

Dad sighed, but looked resigned. 

“fine,” he said “I'll go to the er. But that doesn't mean I'm going to like it.”

“Darling,” said Eliza. “If you enjoyed everything I asked you to do, how would I ever have fun?” She asked. 

-X- 

After Dad and Papí went to the ER, Philip sat at the table, cold bag of water on his darkened eye. 

“You okay?” His mom asked. 

He eyed her skeptically. “No,” he said. “I knew it was going to be bad, but I didn’t think it was going to be this bad.” 

“It’s gonna be okay,” said Mom softly. 

“I single handedly destroyed dad’s career, mom,” said Philip. “There’s no coming back from that.” 

“You didn’t destroy your father’s career,” said Mom softly. 

“I basically did,” said Philip. “He can’t run for president and that’s all he’s dreamed of since he was a kid. And I managed to ruin that for him.” 

“You didn’t ruin it for him,” said Mom. “Burr will come around and realize he’s wrong to do this.” 

“And if he doesn’t?” Philip asked quietly. 

His mom reached to pet his hair. “We’ll figure it out, Pip,” she said. “We always do.”

-X- 

Theo was lying on the couch with her hands on her stomach when her dad returned later that evening.

Dad was grinning, a stark contrast to what Theo expected considering that his arm was in a brace. 

“What happened?” Betty asked. 

“Hamilton’s not running for president,” said Dad. 

“What did you do?” Theo asked, her voice was thick. Her dad wouldn’t, he couldn’t. He claimed to value family and community more than anything.

“Your child’s grandparents are cheating, on each other, with some rentboy,” said Dad gleefully. 

“Philip’s Papí is a doctor,” said Theo. “He’s not a rentboy. Philip has three parents, and that’s that.”

“Regardless,” said Dad. “Hamilton’s not running for the presidency. Not if I have a say in it.”

“You’d really ruin the life of my daughter’s grandfather and his family because you don’t think he’d be a good candidate for president?” Asked Theo. 

“Theodosia, sweetheart,” said Dad. “This is not about personal issues. It’s about politics.” 

Theo stood, pressing her hand to where her daughter was. “Screw you, Dad,” she said. “Mom would be so disappointed in you.”

She stormed up the stairs 

-X- 

Theo changed her Facebook cover photo to her latest ultrasound photo and tagged Philip. They had agreed on it earlier, after they told their parents. 

Theodosia settled on her bed with her Double E book and waited for the notifications. 

To her surprise, it took ten minutes for her phone to ring. She answered it instantly. 

“Johnny Boy!” She shouted into her phone. 

“Teddie!” Her brother shouted. “How are you?” A

“I’m good,” Theo replied. “Pregnant. But I’m assuming that’s why you called.” 

“Guilty,” said Johnny. “I can’t believe my baby sister is having a baby. Where did time go?” 

Theo chuckled. “I haven’t the slightest idea,” she answered honestly. 

“Mom would be so happy,” Johnny said. 

Theo felt the tears pooling at her eyes. She wanted to hear someone else confirm it, that her own mother would be thrilled to be a grandmother, however young Theo was. “I miss her,” she whispered, wondering if her words would be heard on the other end of the phone. 

“I do too,” Johnny agreed. “But she would be so proud of you, and if I know Aaron, I know he’s upset right now, but don’t take it to heart. He was pissed when I got Mackenzie pregnant with Aaliyah. But you know he loves ‘Liyah now.” 

“There’s also the fact my daughter’s dad is the son of Dad’s worst enemy,” Theo sighed. 

“You’re having a girl?” Johnny asked. “Aaliyah and Kya are gonna be thrilled! And who is your baby daddy?” 

“Don’t say it like that,” Theo rolled her eyes, despite her brother not being able to see her. “His name is Philip Hamilton. He’s studying law at Harvard and he’s a junior, and his dad is Senator Hamilton.”

“I’ve heard of the guy,” said Johnny. “Apparently he’s quite left wing, so it’s not shocking that Aaron doesn’t like him. Unfortunately, Teddie, I have to go, I promised Mack I’d pick up the girls so that she can go on a date.” 

“You’re a good dad,” Theo told her brother. “I love you, Johnny Boy.”

“And you’re going to an amazing Mom,” Johnny replied. “I love, you, and I’m so proud of you.”  
He hung up the phone. 

-X- 

In retrospect, Philip really should have called his aunt and told her, but he was too busy nursing his black eye to consider that Theo was posting the baby’s picture on Facebook and that most of his extended family had no idea. It was why, when he answered his phone without checking the Caller ID, he was utterly shocked and also terrified. 

“Philip Rafael Hamilton,” came his aunt’s voice. 

“Hi, Auntie Angelica,” replied Philip, his voice squawking with terror. 

“You got a girl pregnant and I had to find out on Facebook?” She demanded. 

“To be fair,” Philip said calmly. “Mom and Dads didn’t find out until yesterday. And Dad was super pissed, and telling you kinda just slipped my mind.” 

“Jesus Christ, Philip,” said Aunt Angelica. “What’d you do?” 

Philip sighed. “My girlfriend is the daughter of Senator Aaron Burr.” 

“Am i conversing with your ghost right now?” Aunt Angelica asked. “Because I really don’t want to have to help my brother-in-law hide a body.” 

“I am very much alive, but I do have a black eye.”

Aunt Angelica gasped. 

“It’s from Senator Burr,” Philip clarified. “He punched me when we went to tell him that Theo was pregnant.” 

“Oh, Pip,” his aunt said softly.

“I made a mess,” Philip said quietly. “Senator Burr knows about Mom and Dad and Papí now.” 

“Pip,” said Aunt Angelica softly. “That’s not your fault.” 

“I know,” Philip sighed. “It’s just a huge mess, and I don’t know how to fix it.” 

His Aunt sighed back. “I don’t know want to tell you, Pip. I wish I could help . I have to go pick up Ricky from violin, but I love you and I want updates on my great-niece.” Aunt Angelica paused. “Christ. I’m old. Love you little Pip!” 

“I love you too, Aunt Angie,” Philip hung up the phone and then sighed. 

What the hell was he going to do?

-X- 

“I don’t know about you,” said Philip. “But I am excited to be back in Boston.” 

They had both arrived, on seperate flights, the evening prior, and now the two of them were walking along the harbor, hand in hand.

“If nothing if not for the fact that I don’t have to listen to my father rant about your father,” Theo sighed. 

“He’s still on it?” Philip asked. “My dad has stopped talking about it, which terrifies me more than anything. I think he’s planning something.” 

“Is he still going to run?” Theodosia asked. She had no honest idea if her dad really was going to tell the press about Philip’s family.

“I don’t think so,” said Philip. “But he hates when people have receipts on him. It sets him up for blackmail, and politicians are nasty. He won’t mention it, and as far as I know, he hasn’t talked to my Mom or Papí about it.” 

“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry,” said Theo quietly. 

Philip sighed. “I’m just terrified for my family. My brothers and sisters are still in school, and they can’t handle it.”

“I’m sorry you have to go through this.” Theo chewed her lip. “I feel awful about it.” 

“It’s not your fault that your dad’s a dick.” 

Theo froze. “He may have made some unsavory decisions, but he’s not a dick.” 

“Making a deal with a republican Senator is an unsavory decision,” Philip shot back. (So he disagreed with some of his dad’s politics. Sue him.) “Threatening to expose my family and ruin my father’s life over who he loves is repugnant, Theo.” 

“He doesn’t want to ruin your family’s life, he just wants the Senators in the Democratic Party to be free from amoral sex scandals,” Theo defended. 

Philip’s eyes shot into his hairline. “So you agree with him: that my parents are amoral?” 

Theo inhaled sharply and shook her head. “I didn’t say that,” she clarified. “My dad just doesn’t think your dad should represent the Democratic party: he says he’s too far left wing.” 

“And how do you feel?” Philip demanded, and suddenly Theo felt like she was being interrogated. 

“It doesn’t matter,” Theo said. “I don’t even like getting into politics. I don’t want what’s going on between our parents to affect our relationship.” 

Philip rolled his eyes. “Of course,” he snorted. “You don't care about politics. This isn’t about politics; it’s about the future of my family.” 

Theo took another deep breath. “Okay, I’m sorry,” said Theo. “But I don’t want our fathers to get into the way of this.” 

Philip looked upset. “You don’t get it Theo, do you? This doesn’t affect you in anyway. Your dad possesses information that could destroy my family. We can't keep our fathers out of this because your father inserted himself into the narrative.” 

“He’ll come around,” Theo said confidently.”Let’s just leave politics out of this.” 

Philip snorted. “I guess it’s easy to forget about politics when all you do is numbers all day.” Philip chuckled dryly. 

Theo was upset now. It was a combination of the hormones and genuine anger at Philip for his comment about her major. “What the fuck, Philip?” Theo demanded. 

“I’m sorry,” said Philip. “My comment was uncalled for, but this doesn’t affect you like it does me. We talk about politics every day in class. We talk about our fathers every day, Theo. I can’t just avoid it.”

“Then try not to be emotionally attached,” said Theo. “I’ll talk to my dad and try to talk him down. He’ll let go of this.” 

“I can’t just not be emotionally attached to what they’re discussing,” Philip yelled. 

Theo took a step back. 

Philip looked apologetic, but he didn’t lower his voice. “Your father threatened my family, and you just what me to let it go?” 

“Stop twisting my words!” Theo yelled back. “I told you that we shouldn’t let this get between us and our child. I’m going to talk to my father and see if he will change his mind, but you can’t just demonize him.” 

“I can do whatever the hell I want, Theodosia,” Philip said. She could feel the anger radiating off of him. “God I wish this hadn’t happened.” 

Theo’s hand pressed against his stomach almost automatically, tears prickling at her eyes. 

“Shit, I didn’t mean it like that, I wouldn’t trade our baby for the world,” Philip said quickly. 

Theo could see the guilt in Philip’s eyes. But she just needed to think. She needed to- 

“I think we need a break,” she said softly. 

Philip’s face fell. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to say that.” 

Theo cut him off. “I know. But I think both of us need to think, separately, about how we are going to proceed.” 

Philip inhaled. “Okay,” he said. “I don’t want this to drive a rift between us. I want to be apart of our daughter’s life.”

Theo sighed. “My next appointment is at the end of the week. We can talk then. I would never cut you out of our daughter’s life, Philip, but we do need to consider if we want a relationship.” 

“I’m really sorry,” said Philip. “But I understand that you need space.” 

“It’s better if we do this now,” agreed Theo. “If this happened after she got here, it would’ve been worse.” 

Philip smiled weekly, even though Theo could see the tears pooling at his eyes. 

She felt guilty, but she knew if they tried to force something without taking a break, it wouldn’t end well. 

“I’ll see you next week,” she said. 

Philip nodded, his tears dripping down his face. “Okay,” he agreed. “Next week.” 

Theo managed to make it all the way back to her car before she broke down sobbing. 

-X- 

Philip was glad, not for the first time, that emotions were not only allowed for boys in his house, but encouraged. He felt a little better about sobbing in the back of an Uber, even if the driver in the front gave him the side eye. 

However, the guy did very kindly hand Philip a box of tissues, and Philip only nodded his thanks and continued to cry. 

He arrived at his house fifteen minutes later. He tipped the driver $20 and then slowly trudged up the steps to his apartment. 

He opened the door and ambled down the hallway, hoping that Frances was still in the living room doing homework. She was, in fact, still in the living room, but despite her books scattered all over the floor, she was not doing homework. She was making out with Natalie. 

Philip actually contemplated praying for once in his life and begging God to strike him dead, because the timing could not have been worse. He cleared his throat. 

“Hey, Pip,” said Frances casually, straightening herself as if she had not just been making out with the sister of the mother of his child. “Oh, shit, what happened?” She said, glancing at Philip’s face. 

“Um,” Philip stuttered. “Natalie, I really think you need to go talk to your sister.” 

Natalie shot up. “What’d you do?” She demanded. 

Philip paled at the fury in her eyes. “We had a fight,” he admitted. “And I really screwed up. She’s probably upset.” 

Natalie leveled a glare at Philip that could probably melt all of Antarctica, and then she grabbed her backpack, shouldered it, and exited the house.

Frances guided Philip to the couch. “What the hell did you do?” 

Philip broke, and he shared every detail of his earlier argument with his sister. It simultaneously felt fresh in his mind and like it had happened ages ago. 

“Oh, Pip,” said Frances softly, stroking his curls, like their mom usually did with any of the kids when they were upset. 

“I didn’t even mean it when I told her that I wish it hadn’t happened,” Philip said, his body shaking with tears. “God, even with everything going on, I still excited for my daughter.”

“You just have to tell her that,” Frances said. 

“How?” Philip asked. “I already told her I didn’t mean it.” 

“Show her with your actions rather than words, Pip,” Frances explained. 

“Should I get her flowers?” Philip asked curiously. 

Frances rolled her eyes. “The self proclaimed poet, and author of the fourth most popular fic in the Captain America fandom-” 

“Third,” Philip corrected sheepishly.

“Whatever,” Frances said. “Write her something, a poem, a song, a story. Philip, she would love it.” 

“And what if she doesn’t?” Philip asked frantically. 

“Then, Pip,” Frances paused. “You better write like it’s going out of style.” 

-X- 

Natalie didn’t help. In fact, she did the polar opposite of help. Her immediate reaction was to tell Theo that she and Philip should remain on a break indefinitely and that Theo should consider getting a custody lawyer. Theo didn’t want to go that far, and she was pretty sure if worse came to worst, she and Philip could at least settle custody civilly. She needed an unbiased opinion, which immediately knocked out her father and even her stepmother. 

She had no genuine idea how to proceed. So, she elected to call the one person she knew had recently been in a similar situation. 

He answered on the third ring. 

“Teddie!” Johnny shouted into the phone. 

“Johnny Boy!” Theo shouted back. 

“What’s up?” He asked.

“I need some advice,” Theo answered. 

“It must be a seriously fucked situation if you’re asking me for advice,” said Johnny. 

Theo snorted. “My daughter’s dad and I had a fight,” she said. 

“The one whose dad hates your dad?” Johnny asked.

“No my other daughter’s dad,” Theo answered sarcastically.

Johnny laughed. “Okay, I deserved that. What happened?” 

“We had a blowout about our parents. And we both said things that we regret. We’re taking a break.”

“In my experience, those don’t end well,” advised Johnny.

“Thanks for the encouragement,” Theo retorted. 

“Sorry,” Johnny apologized. He gasped. “I have an idea.”

“I’m terrified.” 

“You asked me for advice,” Johnny chuckled. “But your relationship is like Romeo and Juliet. You could do what they did!” He sounded triumphant, proud.

“What the fuck?” Theo asked. “You think the solution is killing ourselves?” 

“Is that what happens at the end of Romeo and Juliet?” Johnny asked. 

“Yes!” Theo yelled, exasperated. “How did you not know about the ending of Romeo and Juliet?” 

“I failed Brit Lit, er, twice,” Johnny said quietly. “Okay, so like, maybe don’t kill yourself.”

Theo cut him off. “Maybe?” She questioned. “Suicide is off the table.”

“Right,” Johnny agreed. “But, and I’ve never actually read Romeo and Juliet, but I bet if they told their parents they were gonna kill themselves so that they could be together, their parents would’ve let them get married. So, like, give Philip’s dad and Aaron an ultimatum: their rivalry or their grandchild.” 

Theo paused.”Holy shit, Johnny Boy, that’s actually genius.” 

“I do possess great ideas sometimes,” Johnny said smugly.

Theo laughed. “You’re the absolute best, Johnny.”

“I know,” Johnny said. “I have to go because some of us have a real job.” 

Theo chuckled. “Bye, Johnny, thank you so much. I love you.”

“I love you too, Teddie,” said Johnny. 

Theo hung up the phone with a renewed sense of purpose.

-X- 

The following Friday afternoon came too quickly for Philip. 

He had the beginning of a poem, but he hadn’t finished it. Still, it was among the best things he had ever written, including his pride and joy: his Captain America fanfic. 

He would finish it, one day, in the future, and by god he prayed that he would have a future with Theo. 

He was fifteen minutes early to the appointment, and waiting for Theo to arrive was nerve wracking. He had figured we would show the poem to her after their appointment. He was going to invite her out for ice cream in the same place where they had met that fateful day when Theo told him that she was pregnant. 

Theo arrived seven minutes early, checked in, and settled next to Philip, a good omen, Philip decided. 

“Hey,” He said cautiously. 

“Hey,” Theo responded. 

“We should get something to eat afterward and talk about things.”

“We should get Toscanini's,” Philip suggested. 

Theo smiled. “I would like that,” she said. 

Philip placed his hand on the arm rest. Theo timidly placed her own fingers on top of Philip’s. It was a small, innocuous peace offering, but for Philip, it meant everything. 

-X- 

Toscanini’s was relatively quiet considering the time of day, and Philip and Theo decied to sit outside to take advantage of the nice day. 

“Before we get down to the nitty gritty, I’d like to say something. I wrote a poem for you.”

Theo’s eyebrow arched in shock. “You did?” She asked.

Philip nodded and the pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket. “Is it alright if I read it to you? I’ll have to copy it down later if you like it.” 

Theo smiled at Philip and nodded. 

Philip glanced at his paper and then he began to read

“Dear Theodosia, what to say to you  
You have gorgeous eyes  
And an amazing name  
And when you walked into that room  
You smiled  
And it stole my heart 

I’ll dedicate every day to you  
Domestic life was never quite my style  
When you smile, you knock me out, I fall apart  
And I thought I was so smart

Our daughter will grow up in this progressing nation  
And we will fight for her, we’ll make it right for her  
If we lay a strong enough foundation  
We’ll pass it on to her, we’ll give the world to her  
And she’ll blow us all away  
Someday, someday  
Yeah, she’ll us blow us all away” 

Theo didn’t realize she was crying until Philip finished his poem and looked up at her. “You didn’t like it,” he rambled. “Oh shit, I’m sorry, I’ll write a new-”

Theo smiled, tears falling onto her lap. “That was incredible, Philip. It’s just the hormones.” 

Philip breathed out a sigh of relief. “I’m going to finish it,” he announced. “And I have to admit that the second part was a modified version of a lullaby my dad used to sing to me. My mom’s gonna send me the notes for the piano. I can’t sing very well, but I want to be able to play it for her.” 

“You’re going to be an amazing dad,” Theo grinned at him. There was no one, even considering the circumstances, who Theo would rather raise her child with. 

“So, about the other night. I’m sorry for my outburst,” Philip said. “It was uncalled for and I know that we were both running on an emotional high. I would like to ask for forgiveness if you’d be so kind as to grant it.” 

Theo had to smile again at Philip. He was ever the gentleman. “I accept your apology,” Theo responded. “And in turn I’d like to apologize for dismissing your emotions and emotional attachment to the situation.” 

“I accept your apology,” said Philip. 

Theo felt a soft but solid thud in the middle of her stomach. She gasped, pressing her hands to the area where her daughter had just… kicked. 

“Are you okay?” Philip asked, eyes alight with concern. 

Theo nodded. “The baby just kicked me,” she said. “I mean, I’ve felt her moving before, but this is the first time I’ve felt her actually kick.” 

“Can I feel?” Philip asked timidly. 

Theo scooted her chair closer to Philip and then grabbed his hand. It took a moment, but there was another solid tap. 

“Oh my god!” Philip’s eyes went wide. “That’s crazy.” They sat there for several more minutes until Philip was satisfied by the finishing of the kicking. 

“So, I have an idea,” Theo said. “I think we need to talk to our dads, together.” 

Philip visibly cringed. 

“Hear me out,” Theo continued. “You said your Dad loves his family more than anything, right?” 

Philip nodded. 

“So does my dad,” Theo said. “I think we should give them an ultimatum. My father agrees not to release the information about your family under any circumstance, and they both agree to form a semi civil relationship, or they don’t get to see their grandchild.” 

“That’s, genius,” Philip said, eyes going wide again. 

He pulled out his phone. 

“What are you doing?” Theo asked. 

“Booking us a flight,” Philip answered. 

“Right now?” Theo asked. “But we can't just fly home with no warning.”

“I booked a spirit flight home once because I was talking to my mom and she told me that she was making lasagna,” said Philip. “Text your Dad and tell him you’re headed home for an emergency and ask to meet him at 8p at The Liaison.” 

“Neutral ground,” Theo noted. It was a hotel she had been to a handful of times. 

Philip raised an eyebrow, pressed a button on his phone, and then slid it back into his pocket. “C’mon,” he said. “Our flight leaves in two hours, and we should probably stop by your house to get you some clothes.” 

“Christ, you’re efficient,” Theo said. 

“Frequent flyer miles,” he shrugged. “Our whole family has them because we fly so often between DC and New York.” 

“Makes sense,” Theo agreed. 

Philip reached across the table and grabbed Theo’s hand. 

“Are you ready to do this?” He asked. 

Theo squeezes Philip’s hand. “If this is the only way to make our fathers get along, then yes.” 

-X- 

Philip had spent most of the flight going over what they were going to say. He was honestly terrified. What if their fathers said no? He honestly hoped they wouldn’t. His dad loved family more than anything, but would he really work out a tentative relationship with his worst enemy? 

He didn’t have to wait for his answer long before Aaron Burr showed up. 

Philip could feel his heartbeat steadily increase. 

“You won’t believe who I ran into,” said Aaron as he sat down, giving his daughter a kiss on the cheek. 

He gave Philip a hard glare. “Oh,” he said. 

Then Dad arrived at the table. 

“You’re here.” Dad leveled a glare at Burr. 

Burr snarled at Dad. “So, I heard from Adams that you’re still considering running for President; I’m still not above releasing the information about you.”

“For one,” Dad countered. “You have no proof. And for two, I have information on you that you definitely don’t want getting out.” 

“And what is that?” Burr demanded. 

“You had a relationship with a woman that you knew was married while her husband, a Purple Heart recipient, was deployed,” Dad said smoothly. 

“That was years ago,” Burr said, but his voice was bordering on rising anger. 

“That’s not how the general public would see it,” Dad hummed. “You would be allowed to be so much as the major of Albany if the news got out, sex scandals are one thing, dishonor of a member of the Armed Forces, especially one who died in combat, is essentially a cardinal sin.” 

Burr huffed. “Well you’ve got me there, Hamilton.” 

The silence at the table was tense, until Theo spoke up. 

“Philip and I talked about this, and about the type of environment we want our daughter to grow up in,” said Theo. 

“And we’ve decided that we want her grandfathers to get along. They don’t have to be the best of friends, but they do have to, at the very least, act civilly toward each other,” Philip finished. 

“Or what?” Burr asked. 

“Or you guys won’t get to see your granddaughter,” said Theo simply.

“That’s un-” Burr began. 

Theo cut him off. “It is totally and completely rational. We’re not asking you to align your party ideology, vote for each other’s bills, or god forbid, run for President together. We’re asking you to be civil. I want my daughter to be able to be in a room with all of her grandparents and not have tension so thick you could cut it with a knife.” 

“Theo is right,” Philip said. “I don’t care what you guys do politically, so long as it doesn’t affect our family. In any case, we’ll leave you here to think. Theo and I are going to go get some rest considering that we will be leaving early tomorrow afternoon.”

The two of them stood and exited the conference room. 

“Do you think it’ll work?” Theo asked Philip as thy exited. 

Philip shrugged. “I think it will,” He said. “But I do know something about today.” 

“And what’s that?” Theo asked. 

“It’s five months to the day of when we met,” he answered. 

Theo grinned. “You remembered.” 

“Of course,” Philip agreed. “So what do you say we get outta here and go relax?” 

“I’d very much like that,” she said. 

-X- 

Erin Alexandria Hamilton-Burr was born on a Tuesday in June. She was a tiny, squawking thing, and Theodosia was in complete love with her from the moment that the baby was placed on her chest. 

Philip was enraptured too. 

Erin’s grandparents arrived a few moments later, the five of them squeezing into the small hospital room. 

“She looks just like you, Pip,” Eliza announced proudly. 

Aaron and Alexander both stood a few feet away, watching the baby from a distance. 

“Our kids did pretty good,” said Alex. “She’s cute, although her name leaves much to be desired.” 

“She is a pretty cute kid,” agreed Aaron. “But I’m not too sure about the middle name.” 

Alex chuckled. They weren’t friends, not by any stretch of the imagination, but they were civil, and Alex grudgingly learned to accept that not all of Burr’s political ideology was trash. And Aaron had learned to accept that it was possible that Hamilton could secure a presidential nomination and eventually the presidency if they played their cards right. 

It wasn’t perfect, they still had a long way to go, but, when she saw her daughter’s tiny, perfect face, Theo knew she would not trade the five mistakes she had made that fateful October night for anything.

**Author's Note:**

> Loved it? Hated it? Plotting to sneak into my dorm and murder me (please do it; I’m begging you)?. Comment below and I’ll love you forever!


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